


More Than Gold

by TrinityEverett



Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: 12 Prompts of Christmas, Castle Ficathon Winter 2020, Christmas fic, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28102023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrinityEverett/pseuds/TrinityEverett
Summary: A celebration of the season as the Castle family prepares for Christmas. For Castle Ficathon Winter 2020. 12 Prompts of Christmas.
Relationships: Kate Beckett/Richard Castle
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Garland

**_"Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold."_ **

**\- Josephine Daskam Bacon**

* * *

**More Than Gold**

**December 13 - Garland**

* * *

Once upon a time, Castle had had the loft professionally decorated. Not completely, of course, but he had happily taken advantage of the fact that, well, he's rich and he could pay someone to do some of the more difficult tasks.

Now, though, he does things a little bit differently.

Oh, the loft is just as lavish, just as wildly, distractingly covered in decorations, but instead of paying others to string the lights around the room and hang wreaths high on the windows, he and Kate tackle all of it. Including hanging the garland he has shipped in from a lake on the Canadian border.

That is, when they can convince Lily not to wear it as a boa.

Rick Castle hides a laugh behind a cough, pressing his face into his shoulder.

"Hey, Sprout. What ah, whatcha doing with that?"

Lily twirls and stops. "Posing," she says, as if it's the most natural thing in the world for her to be trailing twenty-two feet of garland behind her with three or so feet of it wrapped around her neck and shoulders while her brothers toddle along behind her.

Beside him, Kate doesn't bother hiding her amusement. She just lowers the lights she's been untangling and laughs.

"I'm not sure Daddy's expensive garland is meant for you to wear, sweetheart."

Lily looks it over, shrugging after a moment or two of contemplation. "S'my shawl."

This time they both laugh, sharing a look that's part adoration, part 'she's _your_ daughter,' before Kate steps up and pats Lily's head.

"Your shawl is beautiful, baby, but I think we can probably find an even nicer one in a closet somewhere. Don't you think, Daddy?" she asks, looking back at him.

Rick nods, putting his phone back in his pocket. It makes for a good picture, one that's absolutely going in Lily's senior yearbook. "Uh huh. Or we could call Gram tomorrow and see if she has something you can borrow; now that you're both stars, I'm sure she's happy to help a fellow actor out."

Beckett purses her lips to keep from snickering at his attempt at flattery, but he sees it and sends his wife a wink. She shakes her head, calling for Reece to take a nutcracker out of his mouth instead of touching his assertions. Lily's show is in a few days and she's not sure who's more excited, her daughter or her mother-in-law.

"Besides," Kate continues a moment later, helping unwrap the garland from around Lily's neck and putting it down on the couch, "isn't this itchy? Wouldn't you rather have a shawl or a scarf that doesn't make you itchy?"

Rick reaches over, moving it up and out of the way before Jake can take a detour from the Santa and Mrs. Claus pillows and decide he likes Lily's "toy," too. It'll be fine on the table by the window while they take care of the current chaos.

Lily sighs, nodding quickly. "S'a little itchy."

Kate nods, brushing stray needles from the girl's neck and shoulders. "I figured it would be. But it smells nice, doesn't it?"

Their daughter giggles, nodding again.

"Yeah, I think so, too. Now, let's see what we have in the closet for you to pose with tonight." Kate holds out her hand, wiggling her fingers to Lily. "We'll be back, Daddy. Keep an eye on PB and J for a few."

He grins, watching them make their way upstairs to the storage closet where he knows his mother has left some of her older things.

* * *

In the end, they have to wait until the kids are in bed to tackle anything that requires a ladder. It's probably for the best, given that Jake and Reece both tried to climb up to "help" on their first two or three attempts, but he kind of misses their chaos as he and Beckett work in quiet tandem.

Then again, there's nobody to interrupt when he strides to meet Kate as she comes down from hanging the last few feet of garland and slips his arms around her waist, drawing her into his body.

Beckett smiles easily, lacing her fingers at the base of his neck. "So, glad we didn't hire anyone this time around?" she asks, thumbing his hairline. He shivers at the touch, making her lips lift a little higher.

"Although it took far longer this way," he says, dipping his head to press his mouth to hers. "It was worth it to see Lily strutting around with the garland on her neck."

His wife laughs into his kiss, nodding. "God, I hope you took more than just that one picture. That was priceless."

"Oh, I did. Come on, this is me – of course I did."

She grins. "Good. Send them to me if you haven't already."

He dusts another kiss to her mouth. "Everything's in the shared folder on the cloud so you should have it. I made sure it got uploaded while you were getting mother's old costume out of storage for her."

Kate nods. "Okay, good."

He nods. "The other reason I'm glad we did it this way?" he says, swaying with her. "The amazing view I had while you were up there."

She snorts, pressing her face into his shirt, inhaling slowly. "You smell like the tree," she murmurs into the flannel. "And ditto, babe."

Rick grins into her hair, plucking a tiny sprig of garland from between the strands. There's likely more, but he doesn't feel inclined to start picking through her hair.

"Come on, let's clean up in here," he murmurs, brushing his lips over her forehead. "We can leave the ornaments and tree decorating until tomorrow when Alexis gets back from her trip. The empty boxes and the ladder can go back to the storage room."

Kate nods, squeezing the back of his neck. "Kay."

"And once we're done," he adds, sliding his thumbs across the small of her back, "I'll pour you a glass of your favorite wine and we can kill the lights and relax on the couch and admire our handiwork."

"That sounds amazing," she says, dusting a kiss to his mouth before slipping from his arms. "Better make the clean-up quick, Rick; I'm ready to see you in the Christmas lights, too."

* * *

_Thanks for coming along with me on this little 12 days of Christmas-style journey! Chapters will be posted daily. I hope that it brings you all some peace and joy this season. Thank you to Skygirl55 for posing the challenge and for letting me use and tweak her awesome cover art!_

_Until next chapter._


	2. Ugly Sweater

**December 14 -** **Ugly Sweater**

* * *

Kate Beckett has never been one to comment negatively on Castle's clothing, save for the early days of their partnership when she felt like giving him hell for his expensive tastes, but this may be the moment she has to make an exception.

"You're not serious. Tell me you're not serious."

Her husband blinks, his face the epitome of innocence. Yeah, right, she snorts.

"What do you mean?" he asks. He looks around, searching the room for anything else she might be talking about, like he has no idea that he's wearing the sweater equivalent of 1970s waiting room couch upholstery with the added bonus of graphics. Kind of.

"Did you happen to lose a bet with Patterson at your last poker game?" she asks. His brow furrows.

"A bet?"

Her finger taps the center of his chest, right between the eyes of the monstrosity that some might call a reindeer (she's truly not sure of that, nor about the disfigured face that could be Santa if one squints and tilts their head). Castle's head dips, his eyes following her finger. Kate plucks at the sweater just to be sure he gets her. And maybe a little bit to make a point.

"Oh, my sweater?" He laughs, tugging on the sleeves until they cover his wrists. "Lily picked it out. Hideous, isn't it?"

Well, that explains it. Part of it, anyway. "God, it's awful. Why would you let her choose something like that for you? And why would you wear it while she's not here to see?"

Castle lifts a shoulder. "She was excited about it and I don't want her to think I only wear it when she's around to appease her."

"She's four, Castle. I think that's a little beyond her comprehension right now."

He makes a noncommittal noise. "Come to think of it, I did take her to school in it, so technically she did see me wear it earlier."

She snickers. "Well, that's one way to get the moms at the preschool to back off of you," she murmurs, patting his chest. "Maybe I should thank Lil."

"Ha ha." He slips an arm around her waist and draws her closer, the move entirely too smooth coming from a man wearing that beast of a sweater. "Besides, it's not like anyone else is going to see me in-"

"Knock knock, Richard, Katherine, I hope you're both decent."

"-it," he finishes as his mother pushes into the loft with her hand over her eyes.

Beckett winces, both at the reminder of the many times Martha has arrived at their place when they haven't been and at the fact that someone else is absolutely going to see her husband in that atrocity. "I forgot to mention that your mom was coming over today while Lily's at school so we can talk about her present, didn't I?"

"Uh huh."

"Sorry."

"Oh well, Mother's seen worse."

"Not by much, Richard," Martha says, garnering their attention once more. "Darling, that thing is godawful."

Castle smooths the sweater over his belly. "Lily picked it out and I actually kind of like it. It grows on you."

Kate snorts. "Like a fungus, babe."

He shrugs, leaning over to kiss his mother's cheek. "Can I interest you in a coffee, Mother?"

Martha smooths the terrible sweater over his shoulders, nodding. "Thank you, dear. Before we get started, I'm going to run upstairs and see my beautiful boys. I've missed their shining, happy faces."

Kate nods. "They woke up around six and dropped back off about an hour ago, so if they're awake, call me and I'll come help you bring them down."

Martha, of course, doesn't call for her or Rick. Instead, she emerges from the top floor of the loft a few minutes later with a grandson on each hip, talking to the sleepy boys as she takes the steps on careful feet.

"Now, you need to make sure you don't tell your sister about her present. It's going to be a surprise. Do I have your word?" she asks, looking between them.

Reece exhales, pressing his cheek against Martha's shoulder. Jake does the same, curling his fingers in the collar of Martha's dress.

"I think that's as close as you're going to get to their bond, Martha," Kate murmurs with a wry grin, curling her fingers around her coffee cup, taking one last sip before moving to take Reece from her mother-in-law. "The good news is that even though they get chatty, they only know a few words at a time."

Martha chuckles. "Fair enough, kiddos. Fair enough."

She sways with Jake for a minute or two before sliding onto the bar stool and taking the coffee Rick puts in front of her with one hand. "Now, about our darling girl's gift…"

Kate grins, dusting her lips over Reece's hair. "Wait, wait, before we start," she turns to her husband and gestures to his sweater. "Babe, I'm going to need you to take that thing off; it's terrible. Please."

* * *

"Mommy, you're weawin' Daddy's sweater."

Kate licks her lips. So much for her daughter barely noticing the thing. Lily has the observation skills of a hawk.

"Uh huh, I am," she says, hoping to leave it at that. She hadn't meant to grab the godawful thing, but after Martha left and the boys settled in for their afternoon nap, she'd found herself nuzzling her nose against her husband's neck, enticing him to play hooky from his latest chapter.

"Why?"

Castle coughs from behind her, no doubt hiding his amusement that they'd nearly been caught tangled together on the couch when Kate's father brought Lily home after school.

The awful sweater had been the first thing she'd been able to get her hands on after pulling on her undergarments.

"Well," she starts, gathering her thoughts. How does she tell a four-year-old that the sweater was the last thing she'd wanted to grab, but it was the preferable option to getting caught in the act of indulging in an afternoon of canoodling?

"Mommy loved it so much," Rick jumps in, scooting past her (narrowly avoiding the pinch she tries to land on his butt as he does) and scooping Lily up. "She loved it so much that she wanted to try it on and see how it looked on her."

Lily laughs, throwing her head back against Rick's t-shirt. He pretends to flip the girl upside down, blowing a raspberry on her neck when she squeals.

"What do you think, Sprout? Does it look good on Mommy?"

"Uh huh!"

He grins, wiggling his eyebrows in Kate's direction. "Should we get her one, too?" he asks, turning back to Lily.

Her daughter cackles. "Ya!"

Castle hefts Lily a little higher, blowing Kate a kiss and giving her a wink when she scowls at him. "Well, then that's what we'll do."

* * *

_Thank you! I hope you enjoyed today's chapter!_


	3. Snowman

**December 15 -** **Snowman**

* * *

"Mommy," Lily giggles in the doorway behind her. "Mommy, come see!"

"Come see? Come see what?" Kate asks. She doesn't look back just yet, making sure she has everything they need for this trek before turning to face her daughter.

"My brudders look wike snowmen!" Lily announces before doubling over, cackling.

"Snowmen, huh? How do they look like snowmen?"

Lily runs to her, grabbing for her hand and settling for her arm when it becomes obvious that Kate's hands are full. "Come see!" she insists, giving Kate a tug. "It's so siwwy."

Juggling everything takes a little more effort with Lily holding onto her elbow, but they make it out of the bedroom without anything catastrophic happening. She doesn't drop anything or trip over anything (though that stray car did come out of nowhere), and soon enough Lily stops her in front of the couch where Rick and the boys sit.

A chuckle escapes her lips before she can stop it. Lily's right; Reece and Jake do look like snowmen. Or the Stay Puft Marshmallow man, if she's honest with herself. Lil hasn't been introduced to Ghostbusters yet, though, so she'll give her the snowman connection.

"Well hey boys. You um, you look cozy."

Her sons pout over the puffy collars of their coats. Oh, they're unhappy. Not that she blames them; they're adorable in the outfits, but also a little bit ridiculous looking.

"Aww, Jakey, don't make that face," she coos, kneeling in front of him and dropping the items in her hands. Her hands land on his little knees (she thinks they're his knees anyway), jostling his legs. "You don't want to be cold for our pictures, do you?"

"No." He plucks at the down jacket. "Out!"

"Not yet, baby," she says, grabbing the boots she'd been retrieving from a bag in her bedroom and lifting his foot. She wiggles the snow boot on before he can wiggle away. "We'll go get our picture taken and maybe we'll play a little bit in the park? And then we'll come home and get you out of your snowman suits."

Rick snickers a little, earning a glare from both Reece and Jake and a lifted eyebrow from Kate. The pictures had been her idea (though she hates herself a little bit for getting sucked into the hysteria of it all thanks to a mom group she'd joined after finding out she was pregnant with the boys), but the outfits at been all Castle. _All_ Castle.

"S'cute, Reecey," Lily says from over her shoulder, squatting in her dress and puffy coat to help Kate slip the boots onto her brother's feet.

"Thank you, Lily," she murmurs, poking her husband's knee. "Are you ready, Rick? Or are you enjoying this too much to remember your coat, too?"

He grins again. "Well, I am enjoying this quite a bit, but I'm ready, too. My coat is by the door along with the diaper bag and some snacks for afterward."

"Uh huh," she drawls, getting to her feet. "Come on, guys. Let's go get our picture taken."

* * *

Thankfully, for everyone's sake, the chill of the morning has been burned away by the sun and once the photos are done, the boys are able to shed their jackets and run free with Lily chasing after them like a shepherd.

Although she and Castle stay where they are and keep a watchful eye on things, Kate slips her arm through her husband's, allowing her head to land on his shoulder.

"That was fun," she murmurs, stroking his bicep. "Even your ridiculous outfits worked out."

He chuckles, covering her hand with his. "Did you have any doubts?"

"Yes, many," she says, her words dry.

A grin splits his face open wide. "Yeah, that's fair."

Knocking her shoulder against his, she watches Reece take off on his little legs, knocking into his brother with an excited squeal.

Jake doesn't love the collision, nor does he appreciate landing on the ground with a thud, but Lily rushes over and helps him up before the displeasure on his face can devolve into a cry.

"Dere you go, Jakey," Lily says, swiping dirt off his bottom, just as Kate does when they fall. "All better."

Castle squeezes her fingers, lifting her hand to his lips after a second. "She acts more like you every day," he says, smiling against her hand.

Her cheeks heat at the observation. "Don't tell my dad; pretty sure one of me was more than enough for him."

Her husband laughs, a low, easy thing that warms her to her toes, despite the cool air around them. "Your dad would take ten more of you, Kate. Don't ever think otherwise. Even seventeen-year-old you," he adds before she can suggest it.

Yeah, she's not so sure about that part, but that's a lesson he's just going to have to learn when Lily gets older. Instead, she'll take the compliment and leave it at that, content to watch Lily and the boys run around the park.

"So, I have to ask," she says a little while later, lifting her cheek from Rick's shoulder. He hums, giving the kids a look before turning to her again. "Why did you pick those snowsuits?"

He grins, looking back at Reece and Jake. "Because they made me think of the abominable snowman."

Kate snickers, covering her mouth before the boys get wind of a joke they're not a part of and come running.

"Especially Jake when he first wakes up," he continues, swaying with her as she dissolves into laughter. "Let's just say our boy is not a morning person."

"Let's also say that he is his father's son," she teases, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Lily told me they looked like snowmen," she says on a laugh. "So, I guess that was a mission accomplished for you."

Rick looks entirely too proud of himself as they turn back to their children and make sure Lily and the snowman twins don't get themselves into too much trouble. They stay until the shadows grow longer on the ground.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Until next chapter._


	4. Hot Cocoa

**December 16 -** **Hot Cocoa**

* * *

Doing much of anything with two toddlers underfoot is an experience, but making hot cocoa takes it to another level. Twice now, she has stumbled over one or both boys, nearly landing on her face as Jake and Reece flit around her feet.

"Mamamamamama," Jake chants, grabbing at her pant leg. Behind him, Reece races back and forth across the kitchen, his feet moving faster with each lap. Oh, it was a bad idea giving them those cookies at lunch time. And to think, just a few days ago she'd given Castle shit about doing something similar. At least the treats she'd given them had been cooked, but the net result is probably still the same; two incredibly wired boys whose stomachs will hurt later in the day.

"Yes, yes, yes?" she asks, lowering a hand to stroke his hair back from his face. "You need a haircut, baby. You won't be able to see to play soon."

Jake grins up at her, scrunching his little nose in delight.

"Yes, I see you. Are you having fun?"

She reaches over, catching Reece on his next jog past her. "Hey, running man, slow down before you fall down. You don't want to get hurt."

Reece giggles, patting at her shoulders. "Mamamamama."

"That's the rumor," she quips, kissing his cheek. "Settle down, Peanut Butter. Why don't you and Jakey go play on your mat?"

She points to the blanket and toys she'd set up in the playpen in front of the fireplace and one of the three trees on the main floor of the loft. It's within her sightline as she stands at the stove, but not in the kitchen where they can get hurt or burned by the hot cocoa mixture she's preparing. So far, though, they've resisted slowing down at all, forget taking a real rest.

Her boys babble to each other, exchanging looks that can only mean trouble. Jake lets go of her leg and Reece squirms away. She straightens up, eyeing them as they run to each other and around the edge of the cabinets.

Right into the only blind spot she has (other than directly behind her back).

"Don't play innocent with me, you two," she warns, lifting the spoon and gesturing in their direction. "You're exactly like your father, and that means you're up to something."

Her sons giggle, peeking out from behind the cabinet. Kate leans over, blowing them kisses.

"Boo."

They squeal, running toward the playpen. She contemplates leaving the pot of hot cocoa for a moment and jogging behind them to close them in, but they dart back out before she makes up her mind to do it.

Damn. They're quick little boogers today.

They appear at her knees again, this time with the two of the toys she'd stashed on their mat. Reece holds it up to her, snatching it away with a giggle when she reaches for it.

"Oh, I see how it is," she teases, tickling his neck. "Sit down right here and play, then. How's that?"

They heed that suggestion for a few minutes, allowing her to stir the concoction and sprinkle half of the remaining ingredients into the mixture. She brings the spoon to her lips, blowing on it for a moment before tasting her first attempt at homemade – Castle-level – hot cocoa.

It's not great, but it's not horrible, either. It just needs more flavor. More oomph to really give it that special "Castle" feel. Kate glances over her shoulder at her boys to find Jake snatching Reece's toy from his hands and running.

"Jake," she warns, lowering the burner again. The last thing she wants is to have to start over this late in the game. "We don't take toys from each other; give it back to Reece right now."

"No!"

Reece turns toward her, his pout threatening to become a full-blown cry.

Kate puts the spoon down and lifts him and Jake's discarded toy into her arms. "Don't cry," she murmurs, moving to catch up with Jake across the room, kneeling where he sits with the toy. "Jake, that wasn't nice. You made your brother sad."

She turns Reece a little so his brother can see his face. "See, Jake?" She nudges Jake's leg. "Can you say sorry and give Reece his toy. Then maybe you both can play?"

Jake says no again, but she shakes her head. "No telling me no about this," she says. "We don't take toys from anyone, but especially not our brother or sister. You wouldn't want Reece or Lily to take something from you."

Her son lifts his chin in defiance, making her sigh. "Jake, give me the toy. It's time to share."

She has to practically pry the damn thing from his fingers, but she gets the truck out of his hands and offers it back to Reece.

Who, of course, doesn't want it either.

Kate sighs. "Just… play nice, boys. Please? I just want to finish this treat for Daddy, okay? Then I'll come play with you, too."

They scamper off into the playpen for more toys as soon as she releases Reece, Jake's theft seemingly forgotten, leaving her shaking her head. Those boys of hers.

She returns to the stove once she's sure another skirmish isn't going to break out, finding her attempt at hot cocoa slowly turning to sludge. She sighs, giving it a long look before killing the burner and taking the saucepan to the sink.

Looks like she'll be starting over.

* * *

Thankfully, her second attempt is beyond successful. It's full-bodied and creamy, it's flavorful but not bitter with the cocoa she'd picked, and the added zip from the chili pepper makes for a fun surprise. She also brings out the marshmallows and whipped cream for anyone who wants them (oh, who is she kidding, everyone will want them).

She has three mugs and two small sippy cups ready and waiting to be filled when Castle and Lily step through the door after school.

"Hey you," she calls, watching the boys stampede toward the door. Lily giggles, holding out her arms for Jake while Reece crashes into Rick's legs.

"Hi Mommy!"

Rick grins, pressing his lips to Jake's hair. "Hey, how was your day? How are you, Jelly?"

"How was school? How was your meeting at your publisher?" she asks, beckoning them closer once they've shed their coats and Lily has dropped her backpack by the door. Lil's the first to make it to her, climbing onto the stool and gawking at the mugs Kate's chosen.

"My nutcwacker!" she beams.

Kate grins, nodding. "Uh huh. I have treats for us today. How do you feel about cookies and hot cocoa?"

Although she's looking her daughter in the eye when she poses the question, it's not Lily that squeaks with excitement.

A laugh spills from her lips. "Come sit, babe. I have a surprise for you."

Castle settles on his stool, lowering Jake to his feet. The boy runs to find Jake, giggling as he tackles him. Thankfully, Reece giggles as well.

"This," she says, reaching for a ladle and spooning the hot chocolate into their mugs, "is my own recipe, but I tried to capture a truly Castle spirit with it."

She drops half a handful of marshmallows into each one, topping the concoction with a healthy spiral of whipped cream.

"Let me know what you think," she says, sliding the mugs over to them and reaching for her own.

The sparkle of delight in their eyes tells her everything she needs to know.

* * *

_Thank you everyone!_


	5. Snow Globe

**December 17 - Snow Globe**

* * *

Christmas shopping with three kids under five isn't for the faint of heart. Some might call it a special type of endeavor. An ordeal might be a better term for it, but he tries not to be dramatic.

Most of the time.

Okay, some of the time.

Either way, it is certainly an interesting task to bundle his four and one-year-olds up with the promise that they'll get to see and do something extra exciting at the conclusion of their already super fun excursion (he may be exaggerating the fun factor, as the stores are understandably packed, given that it's exactly one week until Christmas Eve). He loves it, though, loves helping Lily wiggle her hands into her gloves, and he loves tucking the boys into their stroller. It's time spent with his kids, time that he knows is going to pass too quickly. Soon enough they'll be making their own shopping trips and won't need him to take them anywhere anymore. And then a few blinks after that, they'll be going off to college and moving out and they won't need his help for much at all.

Of course, his sentimentality doesn't change the fact that taking three kids under five out Christmas shopping in New York city could be considered a sign of insanity. Especially when they get out on the sidewalk and Lily immediately swerves between him and the stroller, nearly tripping him up and sending them both to the concrete.

"Easy, Sprout," he says. "You gotta warn me before you do that; I almost fell on you and that would've hurt."

Lily looks up, her head resting against his stomach through his coat. The deep purple and green knit hat she wears makes her eyes look so bright and – as always – he's lost; he has no chance when she looks at him like that.

"Sowwy."

He lifts a hand from the stroller handle and taps her nose. "You're okay, honey, you just startled me, that's all. Are you ready to go find some great presents for Mommy?"

Lily smiles, showing him her teeth in her enthusiasm. "Uh huh."

"Uh huh, me too," he says. "Okay, will you help me push your brothers?"

"Ya, Daddy." She lifts her hands, taking the center of the push bar and giving the stroller a mighty shove. With two one-year-olds and their things inside, it doesn't go very far but Lily is undeterred, grunting a little and heaving herself forward.

(He helps get the thing moving, just a little.)

Although he has a couple of stores in mind for them to pick some new clothes and jewelry for Kate, he's surprised when Lily points to a specialty shop at the end of their block.

"Daddy, s'go in here."

Rick looks at the sign, glancing in the window to make sure Lil's not just getting distracted by a display that's unrelated to what's actually in the store. It's not that he doesn't trust her, but experience tells him sometimes she likes looking at things that aren't for sale more than she likes looking at the things that are.

The window seems to promise an eclectic selection of trinkets, old and new, and he can see why Lily would be taken with it; it's warm, it's inviting, it looks exactly like Kate's style.

"Good idea, Sprout. This place looks like it'll have some things Mommy would like."

His daughter beams, squirming out from under his arm and running to the door. She grunts with the effort to tug the door open, insisting she can do it when he tries to open it for her (he gives the door a little push to get it started for her when she's not looking).

He stops her before she can charge inside. "Lily wait," he says, shouldering the door open wider, hoping they won't be blocking anyone from leaving. "Remember, we need to be careful in here. There might be things that are breakable, and we don't want to hurt ourselves or anything inside. Okay?"

She nods. "Uh huh. No wunnin'."

"And?" he prompts.

"No touchin'," she says, nodding resolutely.

"Good girl. You can point and show me anything you like, and we can look at it together."

"Kay, Daddy."

She steps inside, her mouth opening wide with awe. "S'so pwetty."

"It is pretty in here," he agrees, steering the stroller gingerly. After warning Lily not to break anything, the last thing he needs is to smack the stroller against something and send an entire shelf to the ground. He can afford it, of course, but he doesn't _want_ to have to buy a bunch of broken things if at all possible.

Lily grins over her shoulder, reaching into the stroller to pat Reece and Jake's legs. "M'gonna pick for ya, kay PB an' J?"

The boys bounce in the stroller, babbling in return. They're slowly learning more words but yes, no, mama, dada, banana ('nana, anyway), and something resembling Lily's name are still their greatest hits. Everything else can be extrapolated from the context of the conversation.

Lily turns around a moment later, moving to the display that had captivated her so. He watches her peer at the antique cameras before turning her attention to a pedestal near the edge of the tableau.

"Daddy," she says, pointing to the top of the column where an ornate snow globe rests. "Daddy, s'a elephant."

Glancing around the store to be sure he won't be breaking any shop policies by touching what's in the window, Rick reaches out and lifts the trinket, bringing it down for Lily to see.

True to her word, his daughter leans in but doesn't touch the piece. He watches her eyes sweep over the ornate brass base and take in the elephants in the scene inside the globe. It's a playful scene: there's a trio of elephants with their trunks in the air, the blankets over their backs colorful and beaded.

Rick looks it over too, glancing at the bottom to find both a price and a winding key for a music box.

"It looks like it plays a song," he says, watching Lily's eyes widen. "Should we try it?"

She nods, eager. Rick grins, checking on the boys quickly before turning back to the globe and winding it up. A delicate tune he doesn't immediately recognizes comes trickling out, making Lily's smile widen.

"You love it for Mommy, don't you?" he asks, reaching over to brush his thumb over her cheek when she nods.

"Uh huh."

"Then we'll get it. Good find, baby," he praises, shifting his grip on the gift and looking toward the back of the store where he assumes the register will be. "Let's look around to see what else Mommy might like."

His daughter grins, nodding again. She walks ahead of him once more, keeping her head on a swivel and pointing out a few more items that make her think of her mother on their way. He's under no illusion that she'll be able to keep the gift a secret, not with as much as she talks about it as they finish the rest of their shopping, but he doesn't think Kate will mind this one not being a surprise if Lily happens to spill the beans.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay warm and be safe, everybody!_

_Until next time._


	6. Candy Cane

**December 18 - Candy Cane**

* * *

"Gwam!"

Lily makes a beeline for her grandmother the moment they emerge from the theater, holding out her arms in greeting. She's been waiting for this moment for weeks, preparing day in and day out, getting ready to show Martha Rodgers, Tony Award nominee and one of the favorite people on the planet, exactly what she's made of.

"Gwam, did you see me?" she asks as soon as she nears, looking up at Martha with undisguised hope. "Did you have so much fun?"

"Oh, my darling, I am _so_ proud of you!" Martha gushes, cupping Lily's face between her hands. "You were absolutely magnificent."

Lily beams, looking back at them. Kate waves from behind Reece's stroller, nodding for her daughter to continue her conversation with her grandmother.

Rick eases the other stroller closer as well, nudging Kate's arm with his elbow. She blinks, tearing her eyes from her daughter to find her husband smirking, pleased with himself and his success at sneaking around.

"You got it?" she asks.

"Mhmm," he gestures with his head, drawing her attention behind his back. "Your dad has the second one waiting at the restaurant," he adds. "He said he'd meet us there."

Kate nods. She knows her father wishes he'd been able to make it out of the deposition on time, but he's already promised to make it to Lily's next show.

"Okay," she says, snapping back to smile at Lily when she calls Rick's name.

"I'm here, Sprout," he says, moving around Jake's stroller to kiss his mother's cheek and kneel in front of Lily. Kate reaches over, gripping the handle to keep the stroller from going anywhere, just in case. "And Mommy and Alexis and I wanted to give you these."

Lily's mouth drops open at the gift, the bouquet of red and white flowers he's offering her. they match her costume, right down to the ribbons wound around the outside of the stems. "For me?"

"They're yours," Martha says, brushing a hand over Lily's hair. Kate can tell her fingers come away glittery and covers her mouth to hide her chuckle. Ah well, Martha's used to it. "Because that is the traditional way to congratulate you on a wonderful job. And you did a beautiful job."

Lily hugs the bouquet to her chest, pressing her face into the flowers.

Martha scoops her up, waving off Rick's murmur to be careful. "You hit all your marks, knew all your lines, knew your moves, and all the words to every song," she adds, pressing her lips to Lily's rosy cheek. "You're a chip off the old block, kiddo. I have never been so proud of you."

"Fanks, Gwam."

Martha grins. "And now I think we should introduce you to another tradition of the theater life," she says, carrying Lily over to Kate. Beckett takes her baby girl, dropping kisses on her cheek as her mother-in-law continues, "The after party. Get ready, darling; it's gonna knock your socks off."

Lily giggles, nodding in excitement.

* * *

Not bringing the double stroller had been a good idea at the time, but as they try their best to juggle two ungainly strollers without waking their occupants, two massive bundles of flowers, and one exhausted four year old, Kate wishes they'd switched after leaving the theater.

"You okay?" Castle asks as she attempts to steer down the hallway, turning with Lily.

"Yeah," she breathes. "Just trying not to wake them by hitting a wall. Or dropping the flowers again."

Her husband shifts their daughter. "I can get one if you need me to," he offers.

Kate shakes her head. "You worry about getting the door open, Castle."

"Right," he agrees. He hefts Lily again, attempting to reach into his pocket for the house key only to flail a little and come up empty.

"Babe," Kate murmurs, holding her key out to him. "Use mine."

He takes it gratefully, moving ahead to their door and (gracefully) shoving it open for her to steer the boys inside.

Beckett exhales in relief once they're all safely back in the loft. It had been a great evening; they'd had a fun dinner at Lily's favorite restaurant with their family and been able to celebrate the girl's theater debut with joy and laughter. She's glad to be home, though, glad to get the boys out of their strollers and into their pajamas and see about getting Lily cleaned up and ready for bed, too.

She checks on Reece and Jake before moving to help Castle slip Lily's coat off her shoulders.

"She's going to need this again tomorrow, isn't she?" she murmurs, plucking at the girl's shirt. The candy cane stripes ripple under her hand.

"Yeah."

"We should've made sure she changed before she ate, you know," she says. Rick chuckles, nodding.

"That's why she was wearing the napkin bib at dinner," he explains. "I didn't even think about it, but Mother pointed it out and she practically lined her front with napkins to be sure if she dropped something, it would land there."

She chuckles. "Smart woman."

"She does have her moments. My mother, I mean. Lil's already wise beyond her years – as wise as a four-year-old can be, anyway. Especially when ice cream is involved."

Kate kisses the back of her daughter's head. Budding actress or not, Lily had done an amazing job tonight; she can't wait to see how she'll do tomorrow and for the final day of the run. It's no wonder her daughter is exhausted.

"Who knew it would be so tiring to be a candy cane in the Christmas play?" she says, grinning at Castle's chuckle.

"I know. But she is the lead candy cane; that's a lot of responsibility."

"Mmm," she agrees, rubbing a circle on Lily's back.

"Come on, let's get peppermint here and the mini canes to bed."

She nods, pressing her lips to Lily's hair once more before lifting her head and stealing a kiss from her husband's mouth.

"We'll get them into bed, and then I'm going to get you into bed, too," she murmurs, nipping at his lip.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was actually the first one I wrote for the 12 Prompts of Christmas. Thank you for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

**December 19 - Fireplace**

* * *

Lily sighs.

Castle tilts his head, watching his youngest daughter's shoulders dip. "What's wrong, Sprout?"

She looks up, eyeing him and then the stockings they're in the process of hanging while the twins nap. Five for them, plus one for Alexis, one for Gram, one for Grandpa, and one for the puppy Lily has not-so-subtly been petitioning for (the stocking being the newest stage of her campaign).

She shakes her head in refusal, looking down at the stocking and back up at the gas fireplace.

"Daddy. Dere's no chimney here. S'just a firepwace! How's Santa gonna come in?"

"Ah," he hedges, wishing Kate were home to field this one instead of out doing her Christmas shopping for him and the kids. After all, she had been the one to tell him that her own realizations about Santa had come from the Beckett home's lack of a chimney. If anyone would know the best way to spin it to counter all the potential arguments, she would.

He wracks his brain trying to remember if this question had ever come up with Alexis. She'd been content for a long while to accept the possibility that jolly old Saint Nick was just magic, able to work miracles for all the children, regardless of the layout of their homes, and then he knows she had humored him for a while longer after that, not wanting to ruin the spirit of it by telling him she knew.

"Well," he tries again, "remember that Santa is magic. He can make a way into a house even if it doesn't have a chimney."

Castle winces; that sounds positively terrifying. Surely there's a better way to maintain the joy of Christmas for his daughter than to imply that Santa's great at magically breaking and entering.

Lily considers his words with a skepticism that would make Kate proud, tilting her head. "Dere's a chimney at my other house?"

He blinks. "At your other house? In the Hamptons?"

She nods, dropping the stocking on top of the pile and spinning to face him. "Daddy, we gotta do dere! An' Santa can find us, wight?"

Rick reaches out, cupping her cheek. "Santa can find us anywhere, baby. He can find us at our house in the Hamptons, but he'll find us here just as easily."

Lily takes a deep breath, looking at him with a seriousness she rarely displays. "But dere's no chimney! We needta haf a chimney _an'_ a firepwace!"

Holding up his hands, he tries for a truce instead of continuing the back and forth with her. She is her mother's daughter, after all; she could argue with him for hours without losing steam if he lets her. Jim says that Kate had been the same way at Lily's age, and he and Johanna had been beside themselves trying to convince her otherwise; karmic turnabout is obviously fair play.

"You know Mommy and I happen to have a special line to Santa, right?" he asks, watching her eyes widen. He nods in confirmation. "Why don't you let me make a call or two and ask the big guy himself what he thinks? After all, who knows better than Santa himself, right?"

She stares him down, trying to gauge his seriousness, his honesty.

"S'twue," she says slowly, dragging the single word out.

Rick nods in encouragement, glad to be getting somewhere.

"You ca' talk to him?"

He nods again, kneeling in front of her. "It's an 'in case of emergencies' number, but I think making sure you know he'll make it to us is a pretty big deal. Don't you think?"

Lily bites her lip, looking around the room, studying the fireplace where they're hanging – or trying to hang – their brood's stockings, studying the stockings themselves, and finally studying his face to assess his commitment to her cause.

"Ya."

"Yeah," he agrees, slipping his hands under her armpits and

getting to his feet (and he'll just pretend his knees didn't crack like that). "Okay, that's what I'll do."

Lily flings her arms around his neck, squeezing to the point where he's sure his eyes are bulging out of his head a little bit. "Fank you, Daddy. M' _so_ rewieved."

Rick rubs her back, returning the hug (albeit with far less choking). The pressure soothes her even more. "I'm glad, baby. I'm glad. Now, I think we need to finish hanging our stocking so we can get you ready for your show tonight."

* * *

"Okay, what's going on?" Kate asks later that night, after surviving Lily's early evening show and getting the kids to sleep (though that had taken about ten stories, three attempts at tucking them in, and another hour longer than normal), and once they've availed themselves of a glass of eggnog or two. She shifts onto her side, reaching out to rub his arm. "Lily stared at the fireplace most of the night after we got home and kept talking about the Hamptons house and chimneys."

Rick tilts his head, curling his fingers over Beckett's. "Oh, I didn't get to tell you. Our little chip off the old block realized this year that we don't have a chimney, just a plain old fireplace in the wall…" he says, making sure he has Kate's eyes as he trails off.

"Oh. Oh no."

"Oh yes," he says. His lips lift. "Now, she isn't nearly as much of a skeptic as her mother, because instead of jumping to the Beckett!Conclusion, as I'm going to call it, she convinced herself that we needed to go to the Hamptons house because there _is_ a chimney at that house, and the big guy will have no problem finding us there."

Kate laughs, pushing at his shoulder. "The Beckett!Conclusion?"

He squirms a little in self-satisfaction, pulling her closer. "It's a good name for it. Anyway, I think I managed to convince her that we didn't need to go out to the house-"

"Which is good because the house isn't set up for Christmas, and I have no desire to haul three kids, presents, the food we've already started buying for Christmas dinner, and decorations to the Hamptons house and do everything we've done here over almost a month in just a few days."

Rick concedes that point. He'd only harbored the idea briefly, without any actual intention of suggesting it to Kate.

"Me either. If we want to talk about spending Christmas at the beach, we can talk about it for next year, but not this one."

Her lips lift, brushing his in agreement. "Deal. So how did you manage to sort of convince my protégé that it would all be fine?"

His fingers slip over Kate's knuckles. "I told her we have a direct line to Santa–"

"Oooh, making us sound so important."

He grins. "I know, right? I told her we could only use it in emergencies but making sure he knows how to find us even if we don't have a chimney felt like a big enough reason to use it."

"Good call," she praises, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I thought so. I did have another thought, if you're game."

Kate lifts her head, lifting a brow in curiosity. It's invitation enough for him to continue,

"Remember our case with the Santa school? What would you say about hiring one of them for an afternoon – maybe having them meet us in the park – for Lily and the boys, and any other kids who might be around to ask some of their burning questions?"

His wife considers him, her eyes growing soft. "I think that's a really great thing to do," she says, touching her mouth to his. "You're a good man, Rick Castle, and an even better dad."

* * *

_I hope you're all having a safe, warm, happy weekend so far. Thank you for reading!_


	8. Cookies

**December 20 - Cookies**

* * *

What his sons lack in finesse and dexterity, they make up for in unbridled enthusiasm, diving into their Christmas cheer tasks with glee.

"Okay, boys," Rick Castle says, breaking off another chunk of dough and splitting it into two. "We're making cookies. Mostly they're to take to Lily's school this afternoon after the final performance to give to her director to say thank you for a great show, but we're also going to keep a batch for ourselves. Your mission is to make a cookie or a few cookies to keep at home."

He places the dough on their highchair trays, touching their hands to get their attention before they dive in. "But boys?"

Their heads lift, an impatient, determined glint already in their eyes. Rick grins; his boys remind him more and more of the women in his life each day, in the best possible way. They're fierce like their mother, feisty like their grandmother, and sweet like their sisters, but he's confident that if he doesn't let them dive into their cookie dough right now, he's going to see the side of them that they've inherited from him.

"Absolutely no eating it." He taps their fingers. "You get me, Peanut Butter? Jelly?"

Reece and Jake share a look, their lips lifting. At just over a year old, they've caught on to mischief, have embraced it as a way of life in a way Lily and Alexis never had, and it is keeping him – wonderfully, mind you – on his toes.

"Uh huh," he says, lifting his hands and watching them dig into the dough. "You gotta be careful; too much could make your tummies hurt. Ya hear me?"

They ignore him, giggling at the squish of the cookie dough between their fingers. (Truthfully, he doesn't expect their creations to survive their little hands long enough to make it into the oven, but it helps them feel included while he works, so he's willing to let them go for it.) Rick wipes his hands on a damp cloth, grabbing his phone off the counter to take a photo and send it to Kate.

_My helpers are getting into their work._

He imagines Kate's quiet chuckle at the picture, can see her shaking her head.

_Just watch them, they'll devour those whole if you're not careful._

He eyes the boys again, spots their pinched fingers halfway to their mouths and calls their names. They jump, freezing mid-bite.

"These are cookies to make, guys," he tries, "not to eat. We eat what's leftover. That's the way of the baker."

Jake giggles, popping his little piece of dough into his mouth. Rick watches his eyes widen with delight at the combination of butter, vanilla, and sugar hitting his tongue.

"Yeah, it is pretty good, isn't it?" Castle asks, swiping Jake's hair off his forehead. "Make a cookie so you can try it after we bake it, too."

"Dada!" Reece calls, showing Rick his hand.

"I see you too, Reece. Are you gonna eat your bite?"

Reece bounces in the chair, popping the piece of cookie dough in his mouth. He grins in satisfaction, kicking his legs.

Rick chuckles. "Well now I feel left out. Should I try some, too? Just to be sure it's good before we make a bunch of cookies out of it?"

They bounce, babbling a response he takes as an enthusiastic agreement.

"Okay then, my turn," he says, pinching off a small piece of dough and popping it into his mouth.

His sons giggle, taking advantage of his wonderful example and taking another bite of dough. They make little satisfied sounds, which are enough to make him grin as well.

"All right. Just go slow and we won't tell Mom about this. Or Lily; she'll be jealous that we ate cookie dough while she was napping."

* * *

Kate, of course, finds out later in the day when the boys turn their noses up at their dinner and whine until she gives in and cuddles them both on the couch.

"What's wrong, guys?" she asks from the center cushion, her arms around them both. "You love your chicken nuggets."

Castle winces, glancing toward the plate of cookies on the counter where Lily's helping herself to another of the star shaped cookies. She's still wearing her costume, refusing to take it off until bedtime, at least. "Last one, Sprout."

She pauses before picking another one and hopping down. "S'to share. Pwomise, Daddy."

"To share with me?" he asks, opening his mouth as she passes. She giggles, shaking her head all the while making a beeline for Kate.

"Wif Mommy," she says grinning over her shoulder.

Kate laughs. "Thanks, Little Flower. Can you hold it for me while I take a bite?"

Lily does, standing dutifully while Kate leans forward and chomps down on the cookie in her hand. The boys squirm, pressing their cheeks to Kate's chest.

"That uh, may be on me," he says, gesturing to the twins and their general malaise. "We may have overindulged a little in the process of making cookies."

Kate exhales, shaking her head. "Uh huh. How much dough did they eat?"

He rubs Jake's back. "Less than I did?"

His wife rolls her eyes, taking the rest of the cookie from Lily. "That is not the metric I would use to determine if they had too much, Castle; you would eat the entire batch if you could. Actually, you would make an entire batch just to eat if you could."

He gives her that, dropping a kiss on her head. "They pretty much finished the dough balls I gave them – a little at a time, but there were no cookies to be made from them. It was maybe a cookie or two's worth, that's all."

"But," Beckett leads, looking down at the boys. Her lips brush their foreheads before she hums in satisfaction.

"But it was probably a little much for their stomachs."

She nods. "Yeah, probably. Just save the chicken for a little bit and maybe we can convince them to nibble a little more later."

"Got it."

"And Castle?" she calls once he's back in the kitchen. "The cookies were great. I can see why you'd eat so many of them, even raw."

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading._


	9. Caroling

**December 21 - Caroling**

* * *

"Mother called," her husband says the moment she steps foot in the door, forgoing any pleasantries.

Kate shuts her eyes, taking a deep breath. It's not that she doesn't want to hear what her mother-in-law has to say, but after a marathon shift, she would much rather enjoy Martha's antics without her shoes and over a glass of wine.

"Hey honey, I'm home," she says, dry. "My day was okay, thanks for asking."

Castle looks up from stirring at the stove. Sauce, she thinks, given the scent of oregano in the air. "Sorry," he says, offering her a sheepish, lopsided smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she drawls, shrugging out of her coat and hanging it in the closet. "Where are the kids?"

"Plopped them in front of The Polar Express. Lil's the only one really watching it, though; I think the boys fell asleep."

She huffs a laugh. "Really? You think a pair of one-year-olds had trouble staying awake during a movie?"

He grins, putting the spoon down on the spoon rest and moving around the kitchen to her side. "Just a guess. Lily did come out about half an hour ago asking for more snacks, so she was at least awake and watching up until then."

She slips her arms around his shoulders as he nears, tugging his head down to hers for a proper greeting. Contentment floods her veins at the heat of his mouth, the slide of his lips over hers, and when he releases her and rests his forehead on hers, she exhales.

"Now," she says after a moment, "what were you saying about your mom?"

Castle chuckles, thumbing her sides. "Mother called and asked if we were interested in caroling with her – all of us, your dad included."

Kate tilts her head. "Dad, too?"

Her husband nods. "She said she understands if he doesn't want to, but she wanted to extend the invitation to him, too."

She smiles. Martha is and always will be a lot to handle, but her heart is in the right place. She wants the best for them all, including Kate's father, who's been here for every Christmas since before Lily was born, even when his heart aches for Johanna. "I'll give Dad a call and see what he says. When is caroling?" she asks.

"Ah," Rick hedges a little, glancing down at his watch. "Six o'clock… tonight?"

"Castle," she groans, dropping her head back. If he committed them to going out in the cold tonight with three kids after she'd worked for almost twelve hours… She might actually kill him. Which would be disappointing, given that he's a great dad and _so_ good in the sack, but it would be a necessary evil. "Did you agree?"

When his denial isn't immediate, she narrows her eyes and stares him down. "Rick."

"She suggested Lily would be able to sing more of her pageant songs," he says, shifting his weight. "And you know how much she loves singing those songs."

Kate sighs, scrubbing a hand over her face. If he wants to take Lily tonight, that's fine. She'll stay home with the boys where it's warm and relaxing and doesn't involve singing in public or wearing a bra and dress pants for any longer than necessary.

"I said we would think about it?" he says, though it comes out as more of a question than anything else. She nods. "But I'm getting the impression you're not feeling it tonight."

"Not on less than two hours' notice after getting to work at five this morning, no," she says, though she knows it's probably too snappy for something that's not entirely her husband's fault. "Sorry. I just… it would be fun – especially if I didn't have to sing at all – but not tonight. Are they planning any other outings we could join? Maybe one after my vacation officially starts, or at the very least when I haven't been at work _all_ day long?"

Castle rubs her arms. "I'll find out."

"I can invite my dad to that one," she says. "Lily can wear her candy cane costume and sing to her heart's content, and I don't have to be out when I would much, much rather stay in."

Rick grins, nodding in agreement. His lips touch her hairline. "Done. I'll call Mother and arrange it, then I'll get dinner finished. Go change and get comfortable; see if the sprout is still awake or if the blanket and the pillows got the best of her."

A smile touches her lips at the mental image of Lily passed out against a mound of pillows, curled around her favorite fleece blanket. "Thank you." She presses a kiss to his jaw. "I'll be back. Unless Lily looks comfortable, then I might just join her until dinner's ready."

Castle chuckles, squeezing her arm. "I wouldn't blame you if you did, Kate."

She does end up crawling onto the pallet on the floor in the office with her babies, kissing their heads when they squirm and snuggle close to her. She dozes off just a few minutes later to the sound of a train whistle.

* * *

A few days later, her father meets them outside the loft with a camping thermos of hot chocolate and a smile on his face.

"Hi, Dad," she says, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Thanks for coming. Lily's been warming up her voice all day. She can't wait for you to hear her sing with Martha and the others."

Jim smiles, looping his arm around her in a sideways hug. His lips knock against her head, his breath puffing against her hair. "I'm glad you invited me, Katie."

"You're always invited," she murmurs, leaving it at that. He has a standing invitation to everything holiday in their lives, making it easy and low-pressure for him (and Kate) on the hard days.

He doesn't get the opportunity to say anything else because a flash of red and white sparkles emerges from the lobby, crashing into his legs with gleeful abandon.

"Gwampa!"

"Well, if it isn't the Candy Cane Princess."

Lily giggles, looking up at him. "M'Lily, Gwampa."

He tweaks Lily's chin with his forefinger and thumb. "I know you are, sweetheart. But you were a great Candy Cane Princess in your show and I'm glad I get to hear you sing again."

The girl grins, taking his hand and swinging it wildly. "Lessgo, Gwampa."

Lily's already singing the first of the tunes when they join Martha and a small contingent of her usual troupe at the first house. And even though she and Rick hang back with the twins, Kate finds herself humming along as well.

Castle smiles over at her when the song ends and the next one begins, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. His lips touch her forehead, fingers curling around her arm as she exhales and presses her face against him.

"Dad's singing," she says into his coat, swallowing hard against the tightness in her throat. "He's singing again."

Rick squeezes her, imparting without a word that he knows just how wonderful this moment is.

* * *

_We're in the home stretch, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you'll enjoy the chapters to come._


	10. Mittens

**December 22 - Mittens**

* * *

"Mommy, whassat mitten for?"

Kate smiles, showing her daughter the paper mitten. Lily peers at it with interest, looking up a moment later.

"Whassit say?" she asks. "You know I can't wead yet."

Kate brushes her daughter's dark hair away from her cheek. "I know baby, but you are learning. This is a helper mitten; everyone at the police station got one or two, and it has the name of someone who needs a little extra help this Christmas. So we'll go buy them some things that they like, and some things that they need, and take them home and we can wrap them in pretty paper, and then I'll take the boxes to work and they'll go to whoever needs them."

"Oh," Lily says, tugging on her arm to see the paper mitten again. Kate points out key details for her; the recipient's name and age, their wish list, even their clothing size.

"What do you think, Little Flower, wanna help me shop? I have three more in my purse."

Everyone else in the precinct had grabbed one or two, but then there had been a couple of extras and, frankly, she and Castle can afford to pick up a few more gifts so she'd scooped them up too. There's no reason for her to send two back to 1PP when she can pick up the slack.

Lily nods eagerly. "Uh huh. Ca'I pick evewyfing out?"

"Mmm, well I want to do some, too. Why don't we pick things out together?"

Lily pretends to think about it, tapping her lips with a finger even as a mischievous grin covers her lips. "Okay."

She grins in return. "Okay. Thank you for letting me do it with you."

"No pwob, Mommy."

Kate chuckles, lifting a hand and squeezing Lily's shoulder. "What should we get first?"

Lily asks to see the other three mittens too, listening with rapt attention as Kate gives her the details on the rest of their assignment. When she finishes, Lily claps her hands together.

"Stick wif me, Mommy, I know what to do."

She grins, nodding for her daughter to lead the way.

* * *

True to her word, Lily picks out wonderful gifts for all four of their mitten recipients, putting a great deal of thought into each one. The clothes she chooses are comfortable but cute, and the toys are exactly what she would pick for herself, the Ryan kids, or her brothers. Kate presses a kiss to her daughter's head as pride sticks in her throat.

One of the things she and Castle have always talked about is how to keep the money they have from becoming a problem for their kids. For all the bragging he'd done about his wealth in the early days of their partnership, he had taught Alexis well, taught her to value what she had, to be mindful of others who didn't necessarily have the same things. They're working hard to instill the same in Lily, and at least at the moment, it seems like they're on the way to being successful.

"You're so good at this, Little Flower," she praises. "Everyone on our mitten list will love what you picked out."

Lily leans into her, accepting the affection with a shy smile. She straightens a moment later, her mouth opening wide.

"Mommy! Dere's one more fing we _have_ to get! For evwybody!"

Kate blinks. "There is? What do we need to get?" They've covered the wish list and moved onto the necessity aspect of the helper mittens, piling their cart high with everything from toothbrushes and toothpaste to bubble bath and sweet-scented shampoos.

"Mittens!"

Oh, her sweet girl.

Kate nods, hugging Lily to her side again. "That is a fantastic idea, sweetheart. We'll get everyone a pair of mittens, too."

Lily nods eagerly, helping her pick up the last of the other items before steering the cart toward a display of mittens and gloves they'd passed when choosing clothing for their helper mitten recipients.

They clear one of the shelves, making sure they get enough for their recipients and their recipients' families as well – at Lily's behest.

* * *

Much to her surprise, Lily comes thundering down the stairs the next morning, dressed in a mismatched – adorable – pair of Christmas tree leggings and green and white striped shirt, boots already on her feet.

Kate shares a look with her husband before twisting on the bar stool. Castle shakes his head; he has no more idea than she does what would've drawn Lily out of slumber, let alone been enough to have her get dressed.

"Well good morning, Little Flower, what are you doing up?" She holds out her hands. "Were your brothers crying?" she asks, tilting an ear toward the upstairs. Reece and Jake had been asleep when she checked the monitor last.

Lily shakes her head, slipping her fingers against Kate's palms and allowing her to haul her onto her lap.

"M'gonna go wif you," she says. "Kay Mommy?"

"With me?" Beckett asks, rubbing Lily's back. "You want to go to work with me? How come?"

Castle smiles from the stove, adding another egg to the bowl and attacking it with a fork.

"Well, it is pretty awesome going to work with you," he says.

Kate chuckles. "Another couple of months and you'll be able to do it more often."

Rick exhales, looking to the ceiling. "Ahh yes, the beauty of an opening two days a week in the preschool nursery and a good working relationship with the director to let us get PB and J in a little before they're eighteen months old."

She grins. He loves being home with their kids and he insists he wouldn't change the time he spends with any of them for the world, but they can both agree that it's time for Reece and Jake to start learning what it's like to be with other toddlers their age.

Lily giggles at their banter, leaning her cheek on Kate's shoulder. She reaches out, curling her fingers around Kate's glass of orange juice and bringing it to her lips carefully.

"I wanna give the pwesents, Mommy. I drawed some pittures fo' em."

Kate presses her smile into Lily's hair (unbrushed, but that's a battle for a different morning). "That's sweet of you, baby," she says, "but we're not going to get to see the people we bought the presents for today."

"Oh. Why?" Lily asks.

"Well, they live all over the city and they might not be able to come to the precinct, or they might be a little scared to come to a police station," she says after taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, "so some very nice people are going to take the presents to them."

"Oh." Lily deflates a little.

"But if you'd like, you can come with me and help me bring all the great presents we bought into the precinct and then put the pictures you drew into all the bags. And you can talk to the nice people when they come pick everything up?"

Her daughter considers the proposal. "Uh huh!"

"Okay," she agrees, dropping a kiss on Lily's hair. She turns her gaze to Castle. "Today's a light day – or it should be – so she should be able to stay, but if it gets crazy…"

Rick smiles. "Just call me and I'll come get her."

"Thanks, babe."

He winks, spooning scrambled eggs onto her plate and adding another spoon for Lily to mooch if she so chooses.

She does.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Until tomorrow!_


	11. Skating

**December 23 - Skating**

* * *

Castle greets her at her office door exactly eighteen and a half minutes before five with a grin on his face that tells her he's not just here to count down the time until her vacation officially begins.

"What's going on?" she asks, glancing up from the last of the paperwork she has to sign off on before she can leave. She only has a few more files to finish; she'll make it without incident if she doesn't let him distract her.

Her husband shakes his head, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. "Nothing's going on. I'm just waiting for you."

Kate rolls her eyes. She doesn't believe that at all.

"And where are the kids?"

"The kids?" he repeats, looking confused.

"Our kids, Castle. The children we've been working so hard to keep from sending to the circus these last few days. They're short, kind of mouthy, con you into lots of candy before bedtime?"

He chuckles. "Rings a bell. They're with Alexis at home. She's going to get them really sugared up while we're gone and then leave us with the fallout."

Her eyes narrow and her pen stills. "While we're gone?"

"Mhmm," Castle says, offering no other information. "You might want to finish up, Beckett. You only have a few minutes to get those in."

She huffs, waving him off and returning to the reports at hand. She'll need to log them on her computer in a few minutes to make sure it all gets in on time, but she's on her way to being done for the next week.

Any other day he would come into her office and make himself at home, but for whatever reason, Castle chooses to remain in the doorway with that damn smug secretive grin on his face.

"Okay, what is going on, Castle? Where are we going and why do you look like we're going to end up getting arrested for whatever it is?"

He doesn't even bother to disguise his laughter. "We're not going to get arrested, Beckett. And not just because you'll use your fear-inspiring captain voice on anyone who tries."

She rolls her eyes, scribbling her signature on the last of the reports and opening the lid on her laptop to input the official sign-off. The computer takes its time, giving her the opportunity to study her husband.

He's blocking the entire doorway, his broad shoulders taking up most of it, but even his legs are keeping anyone who might try from entering. He's bundled up, which is not surprising, given how chilly it is out there today, but it seems like he's wearing even more gear than normal; a pair of gloves sticks out of his pocket and he's added a scarf around his neck.

He shifts after a moment of her scrutiny and she sees the bag at his ankles.

Oh, now she is utterly intrigued.

"Are we going somewhere for the night?" she asks.

Castle grins. "The evening. I figured you would want to get home to see the kids, but if you're game to enjoy a night away, just say the word and I'll make a reservation. We won't have clothes, but I don't think that'll be a problem."

She laughs. "Tempting as that is, I'm sure I'll want to get home at some point tonight." Kate tilts her head. "But I'll let you know. Now, why don't you let _me_ know what we're doing?"

This time he actually does lift the bag and come into her office. She eyes him again, noting the size and shape of the item in his hand. It's his gym bag, but it looks packed to the gills compared to usual, when all it contains is a change of clothes and anything he needs for his workout.

She blinks. "What's in the bag, Rick?"

"You'll see. Now, come on, finish your reports before the anticipation gets to you and you have to sneak back in tomorrow morning."

Kate grins, scribbling the last two signatures and turning to her computer to take care of the data entry. She's on her feet the moment the reports are accepted, and her computer is off and in her bag about twenty seconds later.

"Done. And I will not be sneaking back in here at all for the next week."

Her husband grins. "I am glad to hear that," he rumbles, offering her his arm. She takes it easily, looping her arm around his elbow and hugging it to her chest.

Kate lifts her head, intending to brush her lips over his cheek but getting the corner of his mouth instead.

"Hi for real," she says. "Now, tell me where we're going."

Castle hums. "Look in the bag, Kate."

He twists a little, giving her the opportunity to unzip the main compartment of his gym bag and inspect its contents.

She's nearly blinded by neon colors. Castle grins over his shoulder, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

" _How_ did you find these?" she breathes, reaching into the bag and drawing out a fluorescent purple ice skate. No doubt these are for her and the neon yellow ones that are still in the bag are for him.

God, she loves this crazy man.

Rick kisses her hair. "I called around. I know how much you loved your other ones. And I know they're not the same color, but…"

She shakes her head, wrapping and arm around his neck and drawing him into a hug. "No, these are even better. Thank you."

Her mouth touches his, a quick press of her lips to his in gratitude. "So we're going skating?"

He nods. "I thought about saving them for after Christmas, but then Lily would absolutely want to come and it kind of seemed like this was a good thing for just us to do. So, tonight is for you and for us to unwind and prepare ourselves for the insanity that the next few days will bring."

Hugging him once more, she returns her skate to the bag.

"Come on," she says, reaching for her coat before grabbing his arm and tugging him from her office. "Take me skating, babe."

* * *

Castle muses as they're stowing their things in a locker that he hasn't really been skating since Alexis was a pre-teen. Once she hit her teenage years, she had neither wanted, nor needed him to bring her to the rink at Christmas time; she did that with her friends.

"I'm surprised this was never part of your dating strategy, Castle," Beckett teases as they both wobble out onto the ice, steadying each other with gloved fingers. "Get a girl out onto the cold ice rink, try to warm her up afterward."

He covers her hand with his, squeezing her fingers. "Who says I'm not doing that now?"

Tossing her head back, she laughs. "Good strategy. Not sure it'll be successful, though."

Rick tosses a sly grin her way, pushing off a little bit to get them moving. "I guess I'll just have to work a little harder to make sure it is."

Kate slips her hand down his arm, catching his gloved fingers. "Well, and I'm not saying this will work, but if dinner happens to be a part of your strategy, too…"

"Have you met me?" he scoffs. "Of course dinner is part of tonight's adventure. And unless you're feeling something else, I figured we'd get Italian. Something homey and hearty."

She squeezes his hand. "Perfect. But let's skate for a little while first."

They're being lapped by ten-year-olds, but Kate doesn't care. She's happy to take it slow and get their skating legs back before they start trying to do tricks. Not that she knows any, beyond skating backwards in a straight-ish line; she's pretty sure Rick won't be doing triple Lutzes either.

(He surprises her with a mostly upright spin in a circle, which makes laughter bubble in her throat and spill from her lips.)

"Thank you," she says between bouts of giggles, taking his arm again. They glide around the ice a little faster, passing a group of kids who look like they could be on their first dates, for all the nervous smiles they keep sharing. "I hadn't even realized how much I needed tonight."

Castle steers them toward the wall, allowing for them to slow to a stop without crashing or falling. Once they're steady, she presses closer, wrapping an arm around his neck and drawing his mouth down to hers.

"I'm glad, Kate," he murmurs when she releases his lips, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm so glad."

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until tomorrow._


	12. Candle

**December 24 - Candle**

* * *

She says nothing when she slips into the pew beside him, simply offering a small smile and a delicate squeeze of his arm. It's not that she can't speak, the church isn't full by any stretch and she can make out delicate whispers from some of the others scattered throughout the sanctuary, but it feels right not to.

"Hi, Katie," her father murmurs, covering her hand with his and squeezing her fingers. "Thanks for joining me."

"Hi Dad," she breathes, careful not to break the spell. "Thanks for inviting me."

This is something he usually does on his own and has since the year Lily was born and his traditional month at the cabin had started to feel more like a sentence than a respite. The first time he'd told her, she'd been surprised to hear that he'd found his way to a church on Christmas Eve morning. Their family hadn't been particularly religious when she was growing up, only attending if her grandparents wanted them to but not making it a priority the rest of the time. She can understand why her father appreciates it now, though.

There's a peace in the building that transcends years of agnosticism, that wraps around her shoulders like the blanket Castle drapes over her on hard days. A warmth that starts in her chest and flows through her veins. There's an understanding she didn't have before, a hope.

Jim smiles, looking back toward the altar. The first service of the day doesn't start for another couple of hours, but the church is open for prayers and for anyone seeking shelter or solace while the priest moves around conducting his own prayers and preparation.

"They'll add more flowers before the evening services," her father says, keeping his voice low. She nods, sweeping her eyes over the smattering of poinsettias at the front of the church. "They'll have white ones and even some of the gold-painted ones your mom used to love."

Kate squeezes his arm. Her mom had loved poinsettias, traditional and artsy alike, going out of her way each year to get the largest one she could find and displaying it on their kitchen table. It would just end up shriveled and dry by the end of the season, but that never stopped Johanna, and it certainly never deterred her the next year.

"It's beautiful," she says. "It's all beautiful. I can see why you like it here, Dad."

Sunlight filters through the stained-glass windows, bathing some of the pews throughout the room in color. A band of pink flits over her father's hand where it rests on the bench in front of them. Kate smiles; Lily would find that delightful, would chase after each sliver of color to see how it looks against her skin.

"I was thinking," her father begins a few minutes later, after the church bell has chimed and played through a series of Christmas carols. "If the offer's still open, maybe I could join you and Rick today? Give you the chance to do any last-minute shopping if you need it, or to just catch your breath before the festivities tonight and tomorrow."

Kate lifts her eyes to his, finding her father watching her with soft eyes.

"If you'd rather just have the time as a family, just you, I understand."

"No," she says quickly. "I mean, no we don't need it to be just the five of us – if there is such a thing as _just_ the five of us when there are _five_ of us. You're always welcome, Dad; the offer never expires." It comes out in a rush, impassioned and hopeful.

She never pushes him, never expects anything of him. She knows how hard it is for her father because this time of year is difficult for her still, even after the joy of being with Castle, becoming his wife, having Lily and Reece and Jake. She never wants to make her father feel as if his place in her life or her kids' lives is conditional upon his participation in Christmas, but her heart thunders hard against her sternum at the thought of having him with them for the whole holiday.

"In that case-"

Her father's next words are cut off by the thud of something hitting the door to the narthex and a loud, clear little voice,

"Daddy, I don't see her!"

Kate huffs a laugh, dropping her chin toward her chest. "My child, ladies and gentlemen."

Castle's response is nothing more than a low murmur, but it must be enough for Lily because she hears her daughter's attempt at a whisper.

"Da candles are here, an' Mommy's _not_ here."

Glancing over her shoulder, she sees her husband's tall form, Lily hovering at his side. She assumes the stroller is there too, just hidden behind the half wall that separates the narthex from the sanctuary.

"I told them I was coming to light a candle for Mom," she says. "I didn't mention I'd be meeting you because Lily absolutely would've wanted to come."

Jim shakes his head. "She could've come too. Everyone is welcome, Katie. This isn't some sort of morose memorial exercise for me, it's just… a bit of calm in all the chaos."

Her lips curl upward. She knows exactly what he means and where he's coming from. In the past, she'd worked on Christmas, seeking solace in standing sentinel over the precinct. After she got married, she would spend part of the morning doing something her mother would've loved: greeting the sun from the roof or the window seat in the office.

Now her Christmas Eves are all about making her mom's favorite treats with Rick and the kids and being sure that there are cookies and milk for Santa and that the presents are ready to go. It's a different way of remembering her mom, one she hopes Johanna would appreciate.

"Come on, Katie," her father says, reaching behind him for his coat and draping it over his arm. "Let's go light a candle for your mom."

She nods, slipping out of the pew and into the aisle. She makes it just a few steps down before Lily spots her.

"Mommy!"

Kate puts a finger to her lips as Lily comes running. "Hi Little Flower," she whispers, scooping her up and pressing her lips to the girl's hair. "We need to use our super quiet inside voices while we're in here, okay?"

"Dat's what Daddy said, too," Lily sighs.

She laughs softly, nodding. "Daddy's right. But I'm glad you're here, baby. And so is Grandpa."

Lily lights up, twisting in her arms and looking over her shoulder to find Jim. "Gwampa!" she breathes, waving. "Gwampa, hi!"

Jim waves back. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Mommy's wighting a candle fo' Gwamma," Lily says as Kate carries her back toward Rick and the boys. "An' m' gonna wight one too," she announces.

Castle looks a little bit sheepish as they near, apologizing to her once she's close enough to hear. "She wouldn't take no for an answer," he adds, dropping a kiss on Kate's mouth.

Kate rubs Lily's back quickly before lowering her to her feet. The girl bounds over to Jim, flinging her little arms around his waist. "That's okay," she assures, rubbing her husband's side through his coat. "We're both glad you're here."

She dips, kissing her sons and accepting their sloppy attempts at returning the affection. "Hi sweet boys. Grandpa's going to come to the park with us today, and then maybe we can convince him to help us make our cake balls."

Behind her, Jim groans. "Oh, Katie, not those cake balls."

She grins, winking at the boys. "Definitely those cake balls; they're a favorite."

Straightening up again, she catches Castle's hand and squeezes. "Ready to light our candles, Lil?" she asks, turning to Lily and her father.

Her daughter nods eagerly, grabbing Jim's fingers and tugging him over to the table. "Uh huh," she breathes as Kate joins them and lifts her onto her hip.

She shows Lily how to hold the thin candle, how to light it using one of the others that burns already. Her lips brush her daughter's cheek as Lil wiggles the end of candle into the sand, wishing for the millionth time or more that her mother could be here to see all of this – her father, her life, Lily, Jake and Reece, and Castle himself.

Rick's fingers skim her shoulder, sliding down the line of her spine to rest on her hip. She feels his lips brush her head as tears prick the corners of her eyes and her throat tightens.

"Great job, Sprout," he praises for her, giving her the chance to take a deep breath and get herself to a place where she can speak again. "C'mere, let's give Mommy and Grandpa the chance to take their turn."

"She's okay," Kate murmurs, looking back at him. His hand flexes against her hip, but he nods and steps back. "I think I'll light my candle from Lily's. How does that sound?" she asks, doing exactly that even before Lily nods her approval.

Jim does the same a moment later, looping an arm around Kate's shoulders and pulling her and Lily closer. Kate exhales, allowing his hard-fought peace to permeate her being.

"Okay," he says, rubbing her arm. "I heard something about a park visit. Why don't we stop for some food on the way there? My treat."

Lily agrees for them, grinning at Jim's chuckle.

"Sounds great, Dad."

She hands her squirming child over to her father as well, watching him light up as they leave the church together.

Just the six of them.

* * *

_Thank you all so much. I hope you've enjoyed coming with me on this little journey through a Castle holiday. While I know it's the "12" prompts of Christmas, I'll have an extra 13th chapter for you tomorrow because I felt like building up to Christmas just wasn't enough. Have a safe and wonderful evening!_


	13. Presents

**December 25 - Presents**

* * *

Her back is killing her and her feet throb, but every ache and pain is so, so worth it, because the day has been beyond amazing. Yes, they'd spoiled the kids and each other beyond belief, showering them in presents both large and small, but it's been more than that that's made today special.

It's her father waking up at their place and coming down the stairs with his grandchildren to see what joy Santa brought them.

It's Martha regaling them all with tales – sanitized for Lily's wide-eyed gaze and impressionable ears, thankfully – of her time on the stage and recalling the years she spent making Rick's childhood Christmases magical with their productions of The Nutcracker.

"Next year, kiddo," she'd sworn when Lily had breathlessly begged to see it too. Kate knows she'll keep her word.

It's Alexis playing with her little sister and brothers, indulgently taking every item the boys presented to her and only giving them back when they demanded them, and allowing Lily to explain games she's played hundreds, if not thousands, of times before in her life.

It's Rick looking at them all like they've made his every dream come true, like he's never needed or wanted anything other than what they have right in front of them.

It's their family. Not just their gifts – though those are pretty great, too – but the entire day has been about each other. Making each other happy. Bringing joy to everyone's eyes.

Cool fingers slip over the back of her neck, squeezing when she jolts and twists away from the Christmas tree. "Sorry," he murmurs, holding out a glass of Jameson to her. They must have finished off the eggnog earlier if he's skipping straight to the whiskey. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Kate shakes her head, taking the drink and slipping her arm around his waist, keeping him close by for her first sip. "You didn't. I just got a little wrapped up in thinking."

"Mmm," he hums, raising his own glass to his lips. "Thinking about what?"

She smiles, looking around the living room, taking in the mess that's been left behind. The little bits of wrapping paper that they'd missed. The toys that hadn't managed to get put back under the tree. Shoes and coats and scarves discarded on the floor and draped over the arm of the chair. It's chaos and a part of her wants to clean it up right now, but it's evidence of the kind of day they've had. Fun, carefree.

Exactly what she's hoped to have, what she's always wanted to give to her children.

"Just today. Christmas, my dad. Your mom. How silly Reece and Jake were playing in that ball pit."

Rick chuckles. "Yeah, we're never going to get them out of that thing. We might have to get a bigger one eventually."

"So you'll be able to join them?" She grins, brushing her mouth over his jaw. He feigns insult, touching his chest with his glass, but she knows he's likely already looking for a larger version of the boys' present just so he can play in the ball pit with them.

"Well you don't have to say it like that."

She laughs, swaying against his side. "I'm sure you'll find one big enough for all of us. And then you'll put up a blanket fort around it and it'll be just like the play areas that fast food places used to have when we were kids."

Castle grins. "Yeah, it's going to be great. I hadn't thought of the blanket fort idea; we're definitely doing that now; I hope you know that."

"That does not surprise me in the least," she murmurs, thumbing his side through his shirt. "I can't wait."

He laughs, stroking his hand along her side. "What else is on your mind, Kate?" he asks. His hand finds the hem of her sweater and slips beneath the cable knit hem, touching bare skin.

She shakes her head. "That's really it. Maybe there's a little bit of that disappointment that it's all over–"

"–it's never over if we don't let it end," he interrupts, insistent, and her heart throbs with affection for him and his good intentions.

"Maybe not, but it still feels like coming off of a roller coaster and not quite being able to get your body or your brain to understand that you're back on solid ground just yet. All the work, all the wrapping, seeing everyone open their presents…"

"Getting presents, too," he offers, his smile sly. She looks down at the bracelet he'd clasped around her wrist this morning, studying the breathtaking arrangement of labradorite and opal gemstones he'd had inlaid in a platinum band.

She kisses his chin. "That, too. But now that all of that's done, now it just feels so… disorienting. What do we do now? What do we do tomorrow?"

In a way it had been easier last year. Last year Reece and Jake had been infants, just over a month old at the time, and every waking moment not spent playing with Lily's Christmas loot had been spent attending to them. She hadn't had time or the energy to notice the world seeming to grind to a halt. Maybe because it didn't.

Rick thumbs her shoulder. "We could do lots of things," he says. "We can watch movies all day. We can build that blanket fort you mentioned – minus the giant ball pit, since we don't have it yet – and once the kids go to sleep, we can have sex in it."

Kate laughs, bumping her head against his shoulder.

"We can make another big meal and wrap some of Alexis's old toys that are in storage and have a second Christmas."

She snorts. "You say that like we don't have a pile of back-up presents on the top shelf in the closet, too."

He grins, pressing his lips to her nose. "My point is, if you want to, we can make it Christmas again tomorrow. We can make it Christmas every day. And if you want to get technical, the twelve days of Christmas do start today…"

It's tempting, even if just to capture the euphoria of watching her happy children with their grandparents, but she shakes her head. "That would definitely be spoiling them – and me," she adds knowing he has every intention of including her in that 12-day gift-giving frenzy.

Rick chuckles. "We'll stick with small things," he says breezily, making her think he's been planning this all along. Knowing Castle, he probably has.

"I think a movie and play day tomorrow sounds amazing," she says, getting back to the conversation at hand. She leans into him a little more, sipping her whiskey again.

"Kay," Rick agrees, pressing his cheek to her hair.

"Thanks for today," she whispers after a little while, as the bubble of the refrigerator compressor and the hum of the dishwasher combine with the even rhythm of her husband's breathing and threaten to lull her to sleep standing up.

Castle squeezes her in response. "Thank _you_ for today. I tried when Alexis was growing up, and I overcompensated a lot, but Christmases were never like this. So, thank you."

She lifts her head, lips brushing the corner of his mouth. He smiles under her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Come on, I've got one more present to give you."

Dropping her arm from his waist, she catches his hand and tugs. He comes easily, following her without a word, grinning a little wider at the smirk she sends over her shoulder when she adds, "You'll thank me for it later, too."

* * *

_Thank you all for reading, I hope this story was able to provide a much-needed boost of joy this holiday season. I wish you a beautiful, restful, happy day, and for peace to find each and every one of you._

_Be well, everyone. Thank you all._

_Until next time!_


End file.
